Autonomous vehicles are being introduced into an ever increasing number of facets of daily life in order to automate various tasks, such as cleaning a pool, cleaning an indoor space, and maintaining a lawn. Additionally or alternatively, autonomous vehicles (also referred to herein as robots) may be used for entertainment, law enforcement, and a wide range of other purposes. There are many types of autonomous vehicles; however, many of these autonomous vehicles, such as submersible autonomous vehicles (e.g., pool cleaners) only include one type or manner of propulsion at least because it is often not economically efficient to include a second type of propulsion (e.g., a second drive system).
For example, since pool cleaners often require a pump or suction system to clean a pool, it is often economically efficient (and efficient in terms of space and size) to utilize the pump system for both cleaning and propulsion (e.g., as opposed to including a dedicated/second drive system). As a more specific example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,273,183, incorporated herein by reference, discloses an autonomous pool cleaner with a water jet propulsion system that draws in water for both cleaning and propulsion. In order to utilize the drawn-in water to propel or move the pool cleaner along a surface, the pump system discharges the drawn-in water, as a pressurized stream, at an acute angle with respect to the surface. In the particular example of U.S. Pat. No. 8,273,183, the pressurized stream may be discharged in different directions to control steering of the submersible autonomous vehicle. Similarly, many indoor cleaning robots many only include two powered wheels. However, over time, these drive/propulsion systems will typically require maintenance, part replacement, or some other repair due to the wear and tear associated with repeated usage.
Unfortunately, since autonomous vehicles may be quite complicated and may be pre-assembled, maintenance frequently requires an end-user to transport the robot to a mechanic, manufacturer, or some other specialized technical service provider familiar with the drive system and/or the entire robot. Alternatively, an end-user may attempt to disassemble a robot and/or drive system with tools to try to assess and fix the problems on their own. However, often, an end-user can only disassemble a small portion of the robot (or a drive system) because the major components have been coupled together with specialized tools (e.g., tools machined or developed specifically for assembling/disassembling this particular robot). Moreover, even if the end-user can determine the problem, a part or portion of the drive system may be broken and, thus, may require a user to identify and order the correct replacement part. Consequently, regardless of how an end-user attempts to resolve a maintenance issue, an end-user will often be without a working drive system (and robot) for an extended period of time. Since autonomous vehicles are typically unable to function without a working drive system, this may render the autonomous vehicle useless for an extended period of time.
Moreover, as technology advances, new parts, programming, and configurations may be developed for robotic drive systems. These advancements may improve various aspects of the robots (e.g., battery technology, ability to navigate different terrains, surfaces, increased robot efficiency or power, etc.); however, most robots cannot be upgraded and, instead, must be replaced to obtain a technological upgrade. In fact, many robots cannot even be reconfigured and, thus, are only useful for certain, specific tasks (e.g., cleaning certain types or shapes of pools) and may require a user to buy different robots for different tasks. For example, many pool cleaning robots are provided by the manufacturer to the end-user in a compact, ready-to-use way, and the end-user is given little or no choice on how to configure of the robot. Then, if a user notices a problem with the drive system of the robot, the user has no options for adjusting the drive system to try to overcome the problem (and the user may also be unable to return or exchange the robot since the problems may only become apparent during extended, post purchase, use).
In view of at least the aforementioned issues, a self-contained drive module that can be removably attached to an autonomous vehicle as a replacement or supplemental drive system is desirable.